Notre Dame's Diaco wins Broyles, doesn't get BC gig

As of midday Tuesday, Bob Diaco was in a hotel in Little Rock, Ark., attending the Broyles Award banquet where he ultimately would be honored as the nation's top assistant.

As of now, Notre Dame's defensive coordinator remains just that: The nation's top assistant coach.

Diaco was among the top three candidates for Boston College's head-coaching vacancy, multiple sources confirmed to the Tribune, before the Eagles made a surprise hire by luring away Temple coach Steve Addazio on Tuesday.

The hire was first reported by Sports Illustrated's Pete Thamel and then confirmed by Boston College athletic director Brad Bates via Twitter.

One source said Diaco was set to speak with Boston College officials Tuesday about the job and ostensibly did before the Eagles decided on Addazio.

Bates tweeted that he spoke to the team's seniors on Tuesday morning to keep them abreast of developments. EagleAction.com then reported that Bates told the team a new head coach would be in place in the next two days.

Diaco has coordinated the nation's No. 1 scoring defense for the 12-0, No. 1-ranked Irish, who will face Alabama for the national championship on Jan. 7.

That much earned him the Broyles honor Tuesday. The interest in Diaco's services was viewed as the price of success by Irish coach Brian Kelly -- though that interest hasn't necessarily vanished with the Boston College job, given the tumult of the coaching moves already in December.

"It doesn't surprise me if they want to talk to Bob Diaco," Kelly said Sunday night. "I think he's the finest defensive coordinator in the country. We have conversations about it, and all I can tell you is that it doesn't surprise me that he's part of it. I won't get into the specifics about conversations with particular schools out of respect for them and their process, but it wouldn't be a surprise to me that they'd be after Bob Diaco."